Unit 1 - 3

Question 1

Define a network?

Answer 1

A collection of digital devices that are able to communicate with one another

Question 2

Benefits of networks?

Answer 2

Accessing files and share files on multiple devices, sharing data e.g. printer

Question 3

Drawbacks of networks?

Answer 3

Susceptible to certain cyber attacks, security breaches and it is expensive

Question 4

What does NIC stand for?

Answer 4

Network interface controller

Question 5

What does NIC do?

Answer 5

It is a computer HARDware component that implements the electronic circuitry using specific physical layers

Question 6

What is a network switch?

Answer 6

A physical switch that connects more devices to the same or different networks

Question 7

What is a benefit of a network switch?

Answer 7

Saves time for businesses

Question 8

What is LAN?

Answer 8

Local Area Network - A group of computers and devices that share data to a server

Question 9

Drawback of LAN?

Answer 9

Confined to a specific geographic area?

Question 10

Define bandwidth?

Answer 10

A measure of the amount of data that the medium can transfer over a given period of time

Question 11

How does bandwidth affect network performance?

Answer 11

Dependant on how much data is being used which will depend on the speed of HOW MANY devices are on the network

Question 12

What is a medium (transmission medium)?

Answer 12

How data is carried from one place to another either wired or wireless

Question 13

How does the number of devices affect network performance?

Answer 13

Network congestion, slower speeds, bandwidth needs to be larger for larger amounts of data and more devices to be on the network without the network being affected

Question 14

What is a star network?

Answer 14

A local area network (LAN) topology in which all nodes (nodes = any device connected to a network) are directly connected to a common central computer hub/switch.

Question 15

Give advantages of a star network?

Answer 15

Very reliable, high performing given no data collisions can occur

Question 16

Give disadvantages of a star network?

Answer 16

Expensive to install, if hub or switch fails all devices no longer have any network

Question 17

What is WAN?

Answer 17

Wide area network - Spread over a wide geographical area, used to communicate all over the world

Question 18

Give advantages of WAN?

Answer 18

Large range and can communicate across branches such as banks

Question 19

Give disadvantages of WAN?

Answer 19

Extremely expensive to have set up across a large area

Question 20

What is an FTP?

Answer 20

File transfer protocol - Is a file server where you can download and upload files to a network on the PC

Question 21

What is an email sever and what does it do?

Answer 21

It is permanently online and when logging onto computer it downloads and transmits emails to other email servers

Question 22

What is a DNS server?

Answer 22

Domain name server - Translates a domain name into an internet address (turns web addresses into IP addresses)

Question 23

What does the cloud mean?

Answer 23

Generic term for remotely accessed storage

Question 24

Give 2 advantages of the cloud?

Answer 24

Have the ability to access files from any location or device - Reduced need to make backups because cloud stores back up storage for you

Question 25

Give 2 disadvantages of the cloud?

Answer 25

You may not know who is accessing your data You need internet connection to access backup

Question 26

What is mesh networking?

Answer 26

There is no central hub/switch, instead each node (device) is connected to at least one other node, the nodes act as relays passing on a message between themselves to help the message to its final destination

Question 27

What are the two types of mesh networking?

Answer 27

Full mesh topology and partial mesh topology

Question 28

What is the difference between full mesh topology and partial mesh topology?

Answer 28

Full mesh - each node is directly connected to each other node, all interlinked Partial mesh - Not all nodes are directly connected to one another meaning there are fewer routes for a message to travel

Question 29

What are the benefits of a wired connection?

Answer 29

Much faster, more reliable, less likely to be exposed to hacking

Question 30

What are the drawbacks of a wired connection?

Answer 30

Expensive, messy, not ideal for portable devices

Question 31

What are the benefits of a wireless connection?

Answer 31

Greater configuration flexibility, low maintenance, less expensive

Question 32

What are the drawbacks of a wireless connection?

Answer 32

Speed is slower, proximity is required, easier to hack

Question 33

Explain the basics of Bluetooth?

Answer 33

Form of wireless communication that enables different devices to connect, piconet is an ad hoc network that inks a GROUP of wireless devices to a network

Question 34

Define an IP address?

Answer 34

Unique string of characters that identifies each device using the internet protocol to communicate over a network

Question 35

What is MAC Addressing and why is it used?

Answer 35

Media access control - a unique identifier that is assigned to a network interface, contains a string of hexadecimal numbers, used to identify a device that has joined the network

Question 36

What are the 3 types of MAC addressing?

Answer 36

Unicast, Multicast, broadcast

Question 37

Define encryption?

Answer 37

An algorithm that is used to transform data into cipher text - MORE COVERED IN 1.4

Question 38

Give 3 types of protocols?

Answer 38

TCP - Transmission Control Protocol that enables communication over the internet HTTP - Hypertext transfer protocol governs communication between a web server and a client FTP - File transfer protocol that governs transmissions of files across a network

Question 39

What is network layering and why is it used?

Answer 39

To break up the sending of messages into separate components and activities so it is easier for receiving device to process.

Question 40

What are the 4 stages of network layering?

Answer 40

Application - TCP (Transport control protocol) - Network - Link

Question 41

Describe the 1st layer - Application?

Answer 41

Encodes and decodes the message so that the receiver can interpret it correctly

Question 42

Describe the 2nd layer - Transport layer?

Answer 42

Breaks down message into small packets, each packet is given a number and the total number of packets is sent in the message so that the receiver can put packets in order to interpret message and see if there is a missing packet

Question 43

Describe the 3rd layer - Network?

Answer 43

Adds the IP address so that the network knows where to send the message so that the recipient can receive it

Question 44

Describe the 4th layer - Link layer?

Answer 44

Enables transfer of packets between nodes on a network and between networks